Revealed: Biggest sales, offers in Dubai for 2019

Dubai - Mark your calendar.

The Department of Economic Development (DED) and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) have jointly announced the 2019 Retail Calendar.
Featuring even more city-wide events, activations and experiences throughout 2019, the calendar showcases 18 events over 247 days, versus 12 events over 178 days in 2018, greatly amplifying opportunities for retailer involvement across a broader and diversified range of product categories and brand segments.
The 2019 Retail Calendar offers a reduction in fees for all small and medium enterprises to enable dynamic adaptation to the ongoing disruptions impacting retail, whilst retaining competitiveness in the global environment.
DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL (DSF)
26 December 2018 to 2 February 2019
The Dubai Shopping Festival was launched in 1996 and is a global attraction today, offering an unbeatable combination of shopping, winning and family entertainment to visitors from all over the world. Celebrating its 24th anniversary, DSF 2019 will offer Dubai's residents and visitors rewarding shopping experiences including the opportunity to win mega prizes, hundreds of events from international concerts, musicals, and shows to sport, outdoor, and fashion events.
DUBAI SUMMER SURPRISES (DSS)
21 June 2019 to 3 August 2019
In the summer season, Dubai Summer Surprises presents wonderful experiences for residents and visitors alike with amazing bargains and incredible entertainment throughout the city. This summer shopping extravaganza offers everything from spend-and-win promotions to exciting competitions, plus daily deals featuring world-famous brands at unbeatable prices, entertainment and much more.
RAMADAN IN DUBAI (RID) / EID IN DUBAI (EID)
5 May 2019 to 8 June 2019
Eid Al Fitr - From 1st Day of Eid till 8 June 2019
Eid Al Adha - 12 August - 15 August 2019
Ramadan in Dubai is a time of enlightenment and reflection. This special period calls for cultural activities, family gatherings as well as gifts for the near and dear. While Eid in Dubai which follows the holy month brings a great deal of buzz and excitement, featuring retail promotions at malls and souks, as well as special holiday packages offered by hotels across the city.
DUBAI FOOD FESTIVAL
21 February 2019 - 9 March 2019 
Dubai Food Festival is the only truly citywide food festival in the Middle East. Held every year, it celebrates Dubai's emergence as a gastronomic destination. The festival offers a calendar of exciting food-related events and promotions, highlighting Dubai's unique food scene, its personalities, world-class dining experiences, F&B outlets, plus exclusive deals on kitchen and dining segments.
DUBAI FITNESS CHALLENGE
18 October 2019 - 16 November 2019
The Dubai Fitness Challenge is a city movement towards health and happiness for all with an action-packed public engagement programme that includes fitness events, classes, sporting activities, plus exciting deals and promotions across a wide range of retail, sports and fitness providers, and healthy F&B concepts.
3 DAY SUPER SALE (3DSS):
Dubai aspires to retain its top position and ranking as an important international shopping destination. Among the many initiatives that supports this endeavor is the Super Sale weekend. This aims to increase spend and boost tourism from shopping oriented segment with discounts from 25 to 90 per cent on an array of items, from clothes, shoes and accessories to electronic goods, furniture, home ware and even groceries.
CHINESE NEW YEAR (CNY):
3 February 2019 to 13 February 2019
Dubai is a fantastic place to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The celebration includes activities such as launching Union-credit discounts targeting Chinese visitors in partnership with key retailers, hosting events targeted at Chinese visitors, concentrating offers on high value-added luxury deals that are highly appealing to Chinese visitors.
DIWALI:
18 October 2019 to 2 November 2019
The Indian Festival of Lights, Diwali, is a time for celebration, family and positivity. The festival, is a period for gift giving and shopping, with many of Dubai's top retailers offering exciting shopping promotions on gold & jewelry, bridal wear, fashion accessories and home décor. The city's shopping malls and entertainment destinations put on an array of festive themed events and activities.
RUSSIAN HOLIDAY:
4 January 2019 to 12 January 2019
This is a new retail initiative with the objective of increasing spend and driving visitation from Russian visitors and the resident community.  It is the perfect opportunity for Russians to avail timely shopping savings for the festive & holiday season.
HOME FESTIVAL:
18 April 2019 to 1 May 2019
This Home Festival will provide a great platform to offer fantastic savings on a range of home furnishing products, as well as boost the overall home ware retail category. The home wares segment will be activated through engaging with home stores in the city who will create special promotions.
BACK TO SCHOOL:
16 August 2019 to 7 September 2019
Back to School is an exciting time of year, and parents can share in their children's enthusiasm. This season positions Dubai as the best place to do back to school shopping and also encouragesparents to spend time with kids while teaching them smart shopping habits. 
COLLECTION LAUNCHES S/S (SPRING/SUMMER) & F/W (FALL/WINTER):
Spring/Summer: 28 February - 16 March 2019
Fall/Winter: 8 September - 24 September 2019
The Collection Launches aims at increasing resident and international visitor traffic to retail outlets and stimulate spend from the segments of shoppers that are actively interested in, and inspired by fashion trends, and are keen to purchase the latest designs as they become available in market. As such, this period of activation within the calendar is to position Dubai as the destination that offers the most 'up-to-date' shopping proposition, where consumers are likely to see the most exclusive products from all the brands, and have the opportunity to be the first ones (in the region) to own looks that are fresh 'off-the-runway'.
GIFTING WEEKEND:
12 December 2019 - 14 December 2019
Gifting weekend is a pre-festive event aimed at increasing spend as well as the footfall across Dubai and allowing the visitors as well as the resident community to have a wide range of gifts at special promotions
As a key pillar in Dubai's destination offering, the health and sustained development of Dubai's retail sector has a consequential impact on tourist experience and attraction, in addition to the direct economic contribution of the sector itself.
Considerable progress has been made since the inception of the Retail Calendar in 2016-2017 to deliver critically enabling regulations, core infrastructure projects, and city-wide service enhancements, fine-tuned to meet market and segment priorities across tourist points of interaction with destination retail.
Through 2018, the number of international brands available in Dubai has continued to rise as has the portfolio of retail outlets and experience options, addressing a wider and more globally connected consumer, ultimately increasing the attractiveness of the emirate as a shopping destination.

• Dubai